La Maddalena Archipelago

Relaxing in Cala Spalmatore

12^th June Our next destination is the La Maddalena Archipelago, a group of islands off the north east tip of Sardinia known for its wild beauty, unspoilt beaches and clear waters. It’s a national park and marine reserve, and anchoring is forbidden in many places to preserve the Posidonia sea grass beds. We are looking forward to spending a few days cruising the islands, and our first stop is Dead Man’s Reef Passage, an anchorage on Budelli island.

The anchorage has lovely turquoise water and is surrounded on two sides by low lying rocky outcrops flanked by beautiful white sand. But it isn't quite the peaceful spot we had imagined - there are at least 20 other boats at anchor and noisy tripper boats come and go. By the time we've had lunch the wind is blowing hard and our anchor is beginning to drag,  so we decide to try and find somewhere quieter for the night.

We eventually tie up to a buoy in Cala Spalmatore on La Maddalena island.  This is a deep bay surrounded by cliffs and a rocky bluff, with two lovely beaches and crystal clear water. However the night isn’t exactly quiet, a flotilla of German yachts arrives late in the afternoon and they are obviously in party mood. At sunset someone comes on deck and plays the trumpet, then they all dinghy ashore, have several drinks in the little bar, and head back to one of the boats to play loud music until the early hours. 

Cliff enjoying the water

Liz in the dinghy
 

13^th June This morning all the boats have gone and we have the bay to ourselves. It’s very hot so we swim off the boat, go snorkelling by the rocks and sunbathe on deck. In the afternoon we dinghy ashore and take a walk round the bay. Liz cooks up a delicious seven-veg sauce with fresh pasta for dinner and we eat on deck watching the sun go down.

La Maddalena town

15^th June Liz flies back to London today, so we have sailed round to the little port of La Maddalena, where she can get a ferry back to the mainland. It’s a lovely old town but very busy, with car ferries coming and going every 15 minutes – we can’t believe how many cars there are on such a small island. We’ll be very sad to see Liz go, she’s been great company and a very easy guest to have on board.



La Maddalena ferry

 

 

Santa Teresa and Capo Testa

Santa Teresa di Gallura port

8th June We are now snugly moored in Santa Teresa di Gallura sitting out high winds. It’s a chance to do some essential jobs like topping up the shopping and fitting in an overdue trip to the launderette.

On a walk into town today we noticed a stage being set up outside the library for a concert this evening. Two musicians were rehearsing jazz on trumpet and piano and they sounded great, so we decided to return this evening to hear the concert. It took a while to get going, but once it did a long haired, bearded, slightly stooped man took centre stage and talked, and talked, and talked. Occasionally the musicians would add background music, but we soon realised this wasn’t a concert, it was a poetry recital, and we couldn’t understand a word of it! The rest of the audience were spellbound, so we waited for a pause in the proceedings before we crept out.

Capo Testa

11th June Santa Teresa  is near to Capo Testa, a headland renowned for its amazing rock formations, and today Liz and I set out to walk over there (we left Cliff at the boat, intent on making a new base for our passerelle). Once out of the town we followed the trail through rocky terrain covered in macchia and wild flowers. The coastal views were stunning, and as we climbed over the hill we could see the sandy isthmus that joins the cape to the mainland.

The Roman quarry with columns, left

On the headland we stopped at the bay of Spiagga Levante (a pretty bay with pale sand and turquoise waters) to explore the remains of a waterside Roman quarry at one end of the beach. This is where granite was extracted to build the columns for Rome’s pantheon, and we could still see columns in the shallow waters, one upright and the rest lying on the sand.  
 

Rock landscape
 

It was a hot walk up the hill from the beach to the lighthouse but we were rewarded with amazing views and the most bizarre and beautiful rock formations I have ever encountered. The granite and limestone have been carved by wind and sea into extraordinary shapes. At first it felt as though we had wandered into a Henry Moore sculpture park, with abstract human and animal bodies silhouetted against the sea. Then, as we walked further round the headland, we found ourselves in a land of fairy chimneys and turrets, reminiscent of the rock formations I had seen in Cappadocia in Turkey.

Reminds me of Henry Moore...


 

Elephant rock

Fairy towers
 

What a brilliant day! When we got back to the boat we found Cliff had also had a good day, he had converted some old decking into a multi-purpose base for our passarelle, so that we can now safely attach it to the bow or stern of the boat.

Castelsardo, Sardinia

View of the town and port from the castle

7^th June A four hour motorsail from Stintino has brought us to Castelsardo, a medieval town set above a rocky promontory with a castle at its summit. After a lazy lunch on deck we decide to go and explore the town and castle, but are not looking forward to the two kilometre walk from the port in the early afternoon sun. Luckily, as we get to the port office a bus pulls in, and we hop on. This not only saves us the walk into town, but also takes us all the way up the steep hill to the stop right below the castle.

 

Reed boats in the museum

The narrow medieval streets are picturesque and the views are stunning. This area is known for its basket weaving and we find that the castle itself is now given over to a museum dedicated to Sardinia’s basket and wicker weaving traditions.  This turns out to be more interesting than it sounds, as we discover how they used reed and wicker to make all sorts of household utensils. But the most fascinating exhibit for us are the reed boats that were traditionally used for fishing. They remind us of miniature versions of Thor Heyadahl’s boats Ra and Ra 11 which were built from Papyrus and used to cross the Atlantic.  

The battering ram

Outside in the castle courtyard a strange contraption catches my eye, it’s like a wooden swing on a frame with a ram’s head at one end of it. Cliff is quick to recognise that it’s not a swing, but, literally,  a battering ram!

Cliff side walk at Castelsardo

We walk back down to the port in the late afternoon sun, following a cliff side path edged with wild flowers. It’s a slow process as we keep stopping to take in the views. Back in port it's barbecue time and as the sun sets we enjoy local fish washed down with an excellent local red wine.

 

Stintino, Sardinia

Liz by the harbour in Stintino

5^th June It’s back to sea today as we sail north up around Capo Falcone to the village of Stintino.  The village used to be known as a centre for Tuna fishing, where they used traditional trap nets to catch the migrating tuna, but now it’s more famous for its beaches, particularly La Pelosa, which features on Italian postage stamps.

The approach involves sailing through a narrow, shallow channel between the headland and the island of Asinara, using leading lines painted on posts to keep us from going aground. As we sail through and into deeper water we get our first glimpse of the beaches: from a distance they look picture-postcard material, dazzlingly white against a perfect turquoise sea.

This evening we went for a meal in town. By luck we found an excellent little fish restaurant and had a delicious meal of fresh pasta followed by locally caught tuna.

Local mural

Sailing boat stone sculptures

 6^th June This morning Cliff took the bus back to Alghero to collect his glasses while Liz and I wandered round Stintino. The place is full of character with a busy fishing harbour and lots of evidence of local artists, from buildings painted with murals to an unusual sculpture of boats made from local stone.

 

La Pelosa beach

We couldn’t leave Stintino without visiting La Pelosa, so this afternoon we walked a couple of kilometres over the hill to the beach. When we arrived the wind was blowing hard, the beach was packed and there were little brown jellyfish in the water, so it wasn’t quite the idyllic experience we expected! But the view was lovely, and we did manage to dodge the jellyfish for a quick swim.

 



Alghero, Sardinia

Leaving Mahon at dawn

28^th May We set off at dawn yesterday morning for the two day sail across to Sardinia. We were expecting a nice gentle force 3 wind on the beam, what we got was force 5 on the nose! No problem, we decided to go for ‘Plan B’ and head towards Corsica instead.

 

The wind gradually increased and by lunchtime we had three reefs in the sail, but we were still shooting along at 8 knots. This should have been exciting sailing, but with a lumpy sea and 2 metre swell I was feeling quite nauseous. After 12 hours or so the wind veered and sea state began to ease so we were able to change course for Sardinia. During the night the wind dropped and it poured with rain – not great for our night watches! By the next morning the sea was flat and the wind had disappeared, so we motored in the sunshine until we arrived at Alghero in the afternoon.

As we entered Alghero harbour we were met by a flotilla of ribs from different marinas, touting for our business. We negotiated a deal at Marina St Elmo and have a good mooring here. The staff are very friendly and helpful.  I stepped onto the pontoon just now with a rubbish bag in my hand and one of the of the staff appeared from nowhere and whisked it away!

Alghero old town

  

29^th May We are so pleased to have made it to Italy and our first impressions of Alghero are good. It has a fascinating history as for 400 years it was ruled by the Spanish, and Catalan is still spoken here today. The marina is right by the old town with its ochre stone walls and terracotta roofs. After exploring the town we’ve stocked up with some of our favourite Italian foods: fresh pasta, focaccia bread, pecorino cheese and wine from the local vineyard, Sella and Mosca.

30^th May Cliff broke his glasses while we were in Mahon, the arm literally snapped off and despite his best efforts with superglue and tape, it has proved irreparable. So today we went the opticians to order a new pair. In the UK it takes around 2 weeks to get new vari-focal glasses , so Cliff was delighted when he was told he could have them in 5 days.


Sandpiper on the Town Quay

 1^st June Today we moved out of the marina to the Town Quay, as we had read that you could stay there free for up to four nights.  But after just half an hour a port official appeared and told us that only two  boats could stay on the quay at any time, and since there were four of us, two would have to move! Cliff and Bart, a Dutchman from the next boat, argued our case and eventually the official relented and said we could stay if we moved to a different part of the quay. So we are now sitting under the old town walls, watching the sunset over the bay.

2nd June We appear to have become public property since we moved the Town Quay. Visitors of all nationalities come and stare at the boat and think nothing of interrupting our lunch with questions. So far today we have been asked where we are from, where we are going, what type of boat it is, which flag we are flying and how tall the mast is!

We’ve also been befriended by Christopher, a 33 year old local man who suffers from a growth disorder and so looks more like a young boy. He’s very bright and speaks excellent English, but can’t find employment, so instead makes it his mission to ensure sailors know about the free mooring on the town quay. He’s keen to practise his English and shows Cliff where we can fill up with water, helping him carry the water cans to and from a fountain. Once the water’s topped up, he joins us for a cup of English tea.

Fishing nets drying by the harbour

3^rd June. We cycled round the bay today, past the fishing harbour and along by the  pinewoods that lead down to Alghero’s famous sand dunes and white beaches. At the end of the bay is the little town of Fertilia which also has a marina and had been an alternative destination for us. Fertilia was built in the 1930s as part of Mussolini’s rural regeneration project  – its name literally meaning ‘fertile’. We are glad we didn’t come into the marina here. The town is built almost entirely of square concrete buildings and it feels more like a barracks than a resort. 

4^th June.  Cliff went into town to collect his glasses today, only to be told they weren’t ready.  We plan to leave tomorrow as the winds are good for sailing north – so Cliff will have to travel  back to Alghero to collect them later in the week.

We now have an extra crew member! My Canadian friend Liz arrived today. It’s been three years since we last saw Liz so there’s a lot to catch up on. This evening Cliff cooked us a lovely dinner of barbecued sea bream and we all sat up on deck talking until the stars came out.

Mahon

 



San Roque Arch in Mahon

 

20^thMay Finally, the winds have eased so today we set out for Minorca. We had originally planned to anchor on the south coast, but as the winds were good we kept going and headed for the island’s capital, Mahon instead. After a 10 hour sail we crept into the anchorage just outside the town and found that our friends Bev and David on Tumbalong, whom we first met in Plymouth, were already anchored here. They rowed across and we caught up with our news over a bottle of wine.

21^stMayThis morning another familiar boat sailed into the anchorage: Charlie and Alison on Sulaire, who over-wintered with us in Cartagena. The winds were getting up again so we decided to take the dinghy for the half mile ride over to the nearest shops before the waves built too much. On the way out of the anchorage we picked up orders for milk and bread from Sulaire and Tumbalong. The journey over wasn’t too bad, but by the time we’d stocked up and returned to the dinghy there was quite a chop running and each time we hit a wave, spray arched over the front of the dinghy. I got quite wet, but we somehow managed to keep the six baguettes dry!

Sulaire in the anchorage at Mahon

 

When I came on deck this afternoon after lunch, I saw a green buoy I hadn’t notice before next the boat. It took me a full minute to realise it was the channel buoy and our anchor was dragging! As we pulled the anchor up we noticed that another boat had dragged too. We eventually found a more sheltered spot to anchor in and dropped more chain. The forecast for tonight is a force 8 gale.

 

By midnight the wind is was screaming through the rigging and boat is pulsating. Cliff goes to bed but I can't sleep, so I stay up reading and regularly check that the anchor hasn’t dragged. By 2am I am exhausted and fall asleep. At 3am Cliff gets up and checks the anchor. At 4am I check the anchor again and then set the anchor alarm on the GPS before finally falling into a deep sleep. At 5.30am we are woken by someone sounding a manual fog horn. Cliff goes up on deck and shouts ‘We’re dragging’ before turning the engine on full revs. We have dragged 60ft and are about to hit another boat!

As I emerge on deck our GPS anchor alarm finally goes off. Cliff tells me to pull the anchor up, so I go forward and start raising it, but then the windlass jams. We change places and as I take the helm we realise the chain is caught under the boat, and the only way to free it is to reverse back towards the other boat. It’s a close thing, but we finally manage to free the chain without hitting the boat. We turn and I manoeuvre us back into the screaming wind to find somewhere to drop the anchor again. The anchor bites and Cliff drops even more chain. For the next hour or we sit on deck staring at the landscape, willing the anchor to stay in place. Finally, the wind begins to ease a bit and we begin to relax.

 

Marina in Mahon

As soon as the wind has died down we head out of the anchorage and into the marina in town. Our new berth is in an inlet sheltered from the wind. All is quiet and the boat is still. We both fall asleep.

We later discover that it was our friend Bev, on Tumbalong, who had seen us dragging and sounded the alarm. Thank goodness – a few more minutes and the damage could have been substantial.

  

Some of Mahon's lovely architecture. Note the sash windows

Colonial style housing in Mahon

26^th May We have had a relaxing week in Mahon, exploring the town and catching up with boat jobs. It’s a lovely town, quiet, not too touristy and full of interesting buildings. The town is set in a deep harbour and this, plus its location in the middle of the Mediterranean, made it a prime target for invaders. The British occupied the town in the 18^th century and you can still see their legacy – many of the houses have sash windows and there are several grand buildings built in colonial style.

The winds have continued all week, and are due to blow hard next week too. But there will be a couple of days’ grace between one  weather front and the next, so we are thinking about using it to cross to Sardinia, as we need to be in Alghero by June 4 to  meet my friend Liz, who will be sailing with us for a couple of weeks.


Alcudia

Bay of Pollenca

15th May We left Soller early this morning with very little wind and motored north along the coastline. The scenery was wonderful: mountainous, rocky landscapes with the occasional glimpse of green, alpine valleys. The wind increased as we rounded Cape Formentor early this afternoon which gave us a short, brisk sail down into the bay of Pollenca. We are now anchored off the town. It's a pretty spot with pale beaches backed by green mountains.



The white sands of Alcudia

16th May When we checked the weather this morning we found that they are predicting strong winds and thunderstorms for the next few days, so we sailed on round to Alcudia, which has a well sheltered marina.  Alcudia is famous for its beautiful white, soft sand beaches and we’re told there’s a lovely old, walled town at the top of the hill, but when we walked into the resort this afternoon what we found was pure Blackpool, slot machines, saucy hats and ketchup on the tables.

Palma's Cathedral

A modern treatment to the Chapel of Holy Sacrament

 

18th May We’re making the most of our enforced stop here by exploring inland. Today we took the bus into Majorca’s capital, Palma, and had a wonderful day wandering around the old town and visiting the Cathedral and the Almudaina Palace. The Cathedral is as impressive on the inside as it is on the outside.  It’s beautifully lit with huge stained glass windows and has an unusual canopy over the altar, designed by Gaudi. The most surprising element for me was the modernist, marine-themed decoration of the Chapel of the Holy Sacrament by Miquel Barcelo. It’s very dramatic, but feels slightly out of place - perhaps better suited to a film set than a Cathedral.

Almudaina Palace



Upmarket busker in Palma

19th May We decided to walk up to the old town of Alcudia today and visit the roman remains of Pol-Lentia nearby. It’s Sunday, and when we arrive we find it’s market day. The town is covered in stalls, not just in the market place, but crammed down all the little streets and along by the walls. It is also crammed with people, and after pushing our way through the crowds to take a walk along the top of the walls, we escape across the road to the site of Pol-Lentia, which is, mercifully, deserted. There’s little left to see of the Roman villas and forum, but we follow a track down beside a cornfield full of poppies and through an olive grove to find the small amphitheatre with steps cut into the rocky hillside. It’s wonderfully peaceful here, with goats grazing between the olive trees, and we sit on the rocky steps imagining what it would have been like here all those years ago.



 

Market day in Alcudia old town

 

Amphitheatre at Pol-Lentia